ABSTRACT

Local and industrial plantain chips sold in three selected locations (Ubakala, Express Tower and Okpara Square) in Umuahia Metropolis were purchased and subjected to microbiological analysis. Thirty sample of locally processed plantain chips and thirty sample of industrially processed plantain chips was used. The media used for isolation include Nutrient agar, MacConkey  agar, and Sabourand dextrose agar.  Samples were investigated for coliform count using  MacConkey agar, total viable count using Nutrient agar, and fungi count using Sabourand dextrose agar with  pour plate techniques. The organism  were further identified using standard methods. The value of total viable count of both local plantain chips range 5.66×10^6to 8.15×10^4 and industrial plantain chips range 1.96×10^6 to 2.66×10^5. The value of coliform  count of  local  plantain chips range from 2.08×10^6 to 3.44×10^4 and industrial plantain chips range from 2.43×10^5 to 3.56×10^6. Fungal count of local plantain chips range from 5.24×10^4 to 6.23×10^(5 ) and industrial plantain chips range from 1.80×10^6 to3.24×10^4. The organism identified include; Escherichia  coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas spp,  and Bacillus spp.  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Table of contents v

List of tables vii

Abstract viii

CHAPTER ONE

1.0  Introduction 1

Aim and objective.  3

CHAPTER TWO

2.0  Literature review 4

2.1   Hazard analysis and critical control point 5

2.2   Health benefits of plantain 7

2.2.1 Facts about plantain chips nutrition 7

2.3. Health risk of plantain chips 8

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Materials and methods. 10

3.1 Collection of sample 10

3.2 Sterilization of materials and media used 10

3.3 Microbiological analysis 11

3.4 Gram stain 11

3.5 Oxidase test 12

3.6        Citrate utilization test 12

3.7 Catalase test 13

3.8 Motility 13

3.9 Coagulase test 13

CHAPTER  FOUR

4.0  Result 14

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Discussion and Conclusion 20

5.1 Conclusion 21

REFERENCES 23

LIST OF TABLES

Table1: Total viable count for local and industrial plantain chips 15   

Table 2: Total coliform count for local and industrial plantain chips 16

Table 3:     Total fungi count for local industrial plantain chips            17   

Table 4: Identification and characteristics of fungal isolate 18

Table 5: Morphological and biochemical characteristics of bacteria isolates 19

Table 6: Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of isolates 20